Hungary’s nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orbán, won a landslide victory last Sunday, defending a majority of his Fidesz party against a wide range of united opposition parties.
Orbán is a curse of liberal European politicians, a symbol of a nationalist, authoritarian tendency contrary to the values upheld by Brussels.
Some of the accusations against Orban are serious: that he is undermining Hungarian democracy, that he seeks to minimize Hungary’s complicity in the Holocaust and trading in anti-Semitic images, that he is in bed with Russian Vladimir Putin. These claims will continue to be discussed in Europe and elsewhere.
But for Israel and those in his government concerned about real politics, Orban’s victory is a diplomatic blessing: Hungary under Orban proved to be a strong friend of Israel in the European institutions.
In January, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett thanked Orban for “Hungary’s unwavering support for Israel in international institutions.” On Thursday, President Isaac Herzog sent a letter to the Hungarian prime minister congratulating him on his victory, calling him a “friend and ally.”
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Orbán’s flawless election victory gives the Hungarian leader a firm mandate in his country to oppose various EU positions – including on Israel.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán greets applauding supporters during a rally on the night of the elections in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 3, 2022 (AP Photo / Petr David Josek)
Strong new mandate
In recent years, Budapest has been the most loyal supporter of Jerusalem in the European Union, blocking several efforts to issue statements critical of Israeli policy. In 2020, Hungary was one of the only countries not to speak out publicly against Israel’s plan after it failed to unilaterally annex parts of the West Bank.
Due to the nature of the EU’s foreign policy process, even the smallest countries have the power to thwart European initiatives. The bloc decides by consensus, which means that condemnation of Israel must be approved by all 27 member states – including the traditionally pro-Israel Visegrad Group, the Union of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Hungary’s ambassador to Israel, Levente Benko, hinted at Hungary’s increased confidence in talks with Brussels.
From left to right: Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Jerusalem, March 11, 2021 (Chaim Tsah / GPO)
“With one of the highest turnouts ever recorded in elections since the fall of communism, Hungarians have sent a very clear and unambiguous message, giving a strong new mandate to the current government,” Benko told The Times of Israel on Thursday.
“This is a democratic legitimacy that can hardly be overlooked by our partners in the ongoing debate between the European Commission and Hungary. In particular, many aspects of this debate include issues that are still the exclusive competence of the Member States – and we would like it to remain so. “
“The election in no way changed Hungary’s strong support for Israel in international organizations and in the recognition of its inalienable right to self-defense,” Benko continued.
With 85.96% of the votes counted, the voting on the party list:
Fidesz-KDNP 53.71% United Opposition 34.41Mi Hungary 6.31
Seat projection: Fidesz-KDNP 135United Opposition 56Mi Hungary 7
– For Hungary (@abouthungary) 3 April 2022
In addition, Orban is less isolated in Europe than many believe.
The problem with Ukraine
Hungary has turned to the continent for opposing a broad European embargo on Russian natural gas and oil. Relying heavily on Russian energy to heat its homes and power its producers, Hungary strongly opposes shutting down Russian pipelines without a realistic alternative. In addition, Budapest is currently supplying natural gas to Ukraine, and in the event of an embargo on Russian imports, it is likely to suspend supplies to Ukraine before allowing its own citizens to freeze.
The tanker Sun Arrows loads its cargo with liquefied natural gas from the Sakhalin-2 project in the port of Prigorodnoye, Russia, October 29, 2021 (AP Photo, File)
But many other EU countries, while pushing for renewable energy ahead of fossil fuel investments, are also not in a position to stop Russian energy.
Germany, which is closing its nuclear power plants, also needs Russia to feed its huge economy and publicly oppose a full-scale embargo. Austria, Bulgaria and other Central European countries have also expressed opposition to the embargo.
At the same time, Orban is ready to support all rounds of EU sanctions against Russia so far, citing the need for unity in Europe.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hands with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban during a joint press conference following their talks in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia on September 18, 2018 (AP Photo / Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)
And although Orban will not deliver deadly weapons to Kyiv or release them directly into Ukraine through Hungary, he allows deadly weapons to pass through the country to Poland, then to Ukraine. Hungary has also received more Ukrainian refugees per capita than any other European country.
Most importantly, Orban is allowing thousands of NATO troops to be relocated to the country as the alliance seeks to step up its deterrence against Moscow.
This did not prevent the Hungarian leader from entering into a fierce public verbal war with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. Prior to the election, the Ukrainian leader called Budapest “the Russian branch in Europe” and said Brussels should “stop listening to Budapest’s excuses”.
During his victory speech, Orbán cited Zelenski as one of the forces he won the election, citing “the left at home, the international left everywhere, the bureaucrats in Brussels, the Soros empire with all its money, the international mainstream media, and ultimately even the Ukrainian president. “
A family of Ukrainian refugees and other Ukrainians fleeing their country arrive at the Ukrainian-Hungarian border crossing in Tisabets on February 27, 2022 (Attila Kisbenedek / AFP)
Concerns about the far right
Despite his successive attacks on liberal Jewish billionaire George Soros – rhetoric condemned by Jewish groups in Hungary as anti-Semitic – Orbán has voiced his aversion to anti-Semitism. Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Orban stressed that his policy of zero tolerance for anti-Semitism would remain in place.
He also defeated an opposition alliance that welcomed the far-right Jobbik party into its ranks.
In a political bloc similar to the one that ousted Benjamin Netanyahu last year, the United for Hungary alliance has joined forces with the sole aim of removing Orban from office. It includes the Green Party and the Hungarian Socialist Party on the left, and Jobik, who critics say is a neo-Nazi party, on its right wing.
Followers of the radical nationalist Jobbik party commemorate the 1848 uprising against the Habsburgs in Budapest, Hungary, March 15, 2015 (AP Photo / MTI, Tamas Kovacs).
The plan failed miserably. Many far-right voters refused to vote for the Communists, and the left did not want to support the fascists.
V4 or V3 + 1?
Despite Orban’s clear victory, there are some alarming signs of Israel. The war in Ukraine exposed the fault lines between Visegrad Hungary and Slovakia, on the one hand, and staunch anti-Russian Czechs and Poles, on the other.
“As a result of the Russia-Ukraine war, Poland seems to be turning back and returning to the EU’s embrace,” said Maya Zion-Tsidkiyahu, director of the Israel-Europe relations program at Mitvim. “This isolates Hungary and the EU has started to apply Article 7 against it.
Members of Congress applaud President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky before he addresses the Congressional Auditorium in a virtual address to Congress at the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 (Sarabet Money / New York Times via AP, pool, file)
In 2018, the European Parliament launched an Article 7 procedure against Budapest for allegedly undermining the democratic values and the rule of law of the bloc. This could lead to the loss of the right to vote in the country. It also took the same steps against Poland, but did not proceed to advanced stages of the proceedings against any of the parties.
“Without Poland’s support to halt this move, Orban will find himself in an even more direct confrontation with the EU,” Zion-Tsidkiyahu continued. “He’s already on a budget clash with them.”
Two days after Orban’s election victory, the European Commission said it would cut funding from Hungary for violating the rule of law.
File: Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speak during a meeting in Sochi, Russia, October 22, 2021 (Evgeny Biatov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo by AP)
And yet, despite tensions in the pro-Israel bloc, it is unlikely to disappear or stop supporting Jerusalem. The four countries, as well as others who were in the Soviet bloc, represent a population that is much more conservative, nationalistic and often religious than their Western European peers.
Hungary’s policies may anger Ukraine and many EU countries, but Orbán has shown that Hungarians expect their leaders to put their interests first, especially when it comes to Russia. While many sympathize with the Ukrainians, they know that this is not their battle and see …
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